Steering apparatus



(Ne-Model.) 2 Sheets--Sheet 1.

J. L. HORNIG.

' STEERING APPARATUS.

Ne.398,326. Patented Feb. 19, 1889.

E l l. Y meeuw.:

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. L. H-ORNIG.

STEERING APPARATUS'.

190.898.828. Patented Feb. 19, 1889.

`Sill/1.18111. lo z NITEDA STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.IULIUS I.. IIORNIG, OF JERSEY CITY, NET JERSEY.

STEERING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 398,326, dated February19, 1.889.

Application filed March 12 1888. Serial No. 266,929. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: v

Be it known that I, JULiUs L. Hennie, o Jersey City, in the county ofHudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Steering Apparatus, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to steering apparatus for vessels in which therudder is moved by the admission to a cylinder of a fluid-as air, steam,or water-under pressure, acting upon a piston in such cylinder connectedWith a rudder, the admission of the fluid to the cylinder beingcontrolled by a hand-operated valve. I prefer to employ such a valve asis set forth in my application, Serial No. 265,063, filed February 28,1888, which has a central position in the valve-chest, at which allinlet and outlet ports of the cylinder are closed, and air is admittedto or released from the ends of the cylinder to move the piston in onedirection or the other by the movement of the valve in the valve-chestin one direction or the other.

The main object of my present invention is to so arrange the apparatusthat the valve will be brought back to its central position, or positionof closing the cylinder-ports, by the movement of the rudder, so thatupon the stoppage of the movement of the steering wheel or handlecontrolling the valve the valve will be at once returned to its closingposition.

A further obj ectis to so combine the power steering apparatus with handsteering apparatus that if at any time the power apparatus becomesinoperative, or if for any other reason it is desired not to use it, thehand apparatus may be readily used instead.

Further, my obj eet is generally to increase the simplicity,convenience, and effectiveness of iluidpressure steering apparatus.

My invention consists in the novel devices and combinations of devicesemployed by me in accomplishing the above-named objects, as hereinafterset forth and claimed.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure l is a general view of steering apparatns embodying my invention;2, a view, partly in elevation and partly in longitudinal section, ofthe operating paris, and Fig. a fgfrosssection thereof.

A is the rudder, and B the tiller attached to the rudder-post.

C is the fluid-pressure cylinder, within which is a piston, and fromwhich the piston-rod D D extends at both ends. From the ends of thepiston-rod chains E E extend, passing over sheaves a a to the tiller B,so that the movement of the piston moves the rudder in one direction orthe other.

F is the valve-chest containing the controlling-valve, of which b is thevalve-rod.

c is the inlet and d the outlet for the air or other fluid.

e e are relief-cocks for the ends of the cylinder, and e a cock in theinlet-pipe.

G is a hand steering-drum having handwheels H l-I for turning it, andconnected by a rope, I, running over sheaves f f to the tiller B. K

K is the steering-wheel or other turninghandle on a shaft, g, having itsbearings in the end of a box or case, L, which has a removable cover,and in the bevel-gear 7i, which is on the shaft t' of the hand-drum G,with which shaft g is in line but not in mechanical connection. Uponshaft gis a bevel gear- Wheehk, and also awheel, Z, loose on the shaft,the lower side of which has teeth engaging with a gear-wheel, m. Uponone of the spokes of wheel Z is loosely mounted a bevel gearwheel, n,engaging with both gear-wheelsh and It'. A projection, o, on wheel mextends through a slot in the top of box I. and forms an indicator ofposition of the valve. This furnishes an epicyclic train of gearing, theturning of the wheel Z being due to the motion of the wheel n, which isdependent on the relative motions of wheels h and k. The shaft p ofgear-wheel mextends down preferably through the deck, and has at itslower end a pulley, q, from which a chain or cord, M, extends to apulley,r,on a spindle, N, having a pinion, s, which engages a rack onthe valve-rod b for moving the same.

O is a casing for shaft p, within which also is a hollow shaft, t,having a handle, u, for turning it, and carrying a pulley, o, from whicha chain or cord, P, extends to a pulley, w, on spindle fw', the lastbeing connected by rods with cocks e c and e. y

The operation of this apparatus is as follows: VWhen it is desired tomove the rudder,

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the operator turns the wheel K in the required direction, whereby thewheel It' is turned, and this moves the Wheel Z, shaft fi and wheel 7Lbeing'at this time stationary, and the motion is transmitted by wheel m,shaft p, pulley q, chain M, pulley r, spindle N, and pinion s tovalve-rod b, and the valve is moved so as to affect the pressure in thecylinder and move the piston therein, whose motion will'be transmittedby piston-rod D and chain E to the rudder. It is evident that so long asthe two gear-wheels 71. and 7tturn at the same speed the gear-wheel abetween them will be stationary; but if one moves when the other isstill, or if one moves faster than the other, the wheel a will have abodily movement which will move the wheel l in one or the otherdirection. Thus when the piston moves, its motion is transmitted throughthe rudder and through rope I to drum G, shaft t', and wheel h, and soas long as the helmsman keeps moving the wheel 7c in conformity with hthe wheel Z does not turn; but when he releases the wheel K or holds itstill the piston through drum G will cause the wheel l to turn, and thevalve will be brought back to its central or closing position again. Solong as the helmsman continues the movement of the wheel K the valvewill be kept steadily in the same position, it being at first moved tothe desired position because the wheel K begins to move before thepiston does.

The helmsman can always see what is the position of the rudder byobserving the position of the wheel H, and he also has a constantindication of the position of the valve by the position of theprojection 0.

-If for any reason it is required to steer by hand instead of by power,the handle u is turned, and by means of hollow shaft t and chain P theinlet-cock e is closed and the relief-cocks e e are opened, so that thecylinder will not interfere with the hand-steering. Then the steering isaccomplished by the hand-wheels II H through rope I in the ordinarymanner. l

It will be seen that the whole apparatus is very conveniently arranged,so that the operator of the power steering apparatus can readily controlits use and substitute the hand steering apparatus at any time, and sothat such operator has always full indication of the effect both on thevalve and on the rudder of his movements of the steeringwheel.

All the operating parts are readily accessible for inspection or repair.

That I claim is l. The combination of the rudder, the powercylinder, andpiston for moving it, the hand steering-wheel connected with the rudder,the power steering-wheel, a bevel-gearon the shaft of said hand.steering-wheel, a bevel-gear on the shaft of said power steering -wheel,a bevel-gear engaging with both said gears, a gear-wheel carrying saidlast-mentioned bevelgear, another gear-wheel with which saidcarrying-wheel engages, and connections from the shaft of saidlast-mentioned gear-wheel to the valve of the power-cylinder,substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of the rudder, the powercylinder, and piston formoving it, the power steering-wheel connected with the valve of saidcylinder, the hand steering-wheel connected with the rudder, theepicyclic gearing between said wheels, the relief-cocks in the ends ofsaid cylinder, a cock in the inlet of the cylinder, and connections fromsaid cocks to a handle at the place where the steering is performed,substantially as set forth.

The combination of the rudder, the powercylinder and piston for movingit, relief-cocks in the ends of the cylinder, and avalve in the inlet ofthe cylinder, whereby the use of hand steering apparatus is permitted,substantially as set forth.

l. The combination of the rudder, the powercylinder and piston formoving it, relief-cocks in the ends of said cylinder, a cock in theinlet of the cylinder, and connections from said cocks to a handlesituated at the place where the steering is performed, whereby all saidcocks may be operated simultaneously, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of the rudder, the powercylinder for moving it, thehand steeringwheel, the shaft p, connected with said wheel and with thevalve of the cylinder, the reliefcocks for the cylinder, the hollowshaft inclosing shaft p, connections from said hollow shaft to saidrelief-cocks, and a handle for turning said hollow shaft, substantiallyas set forth. l

This specification signed and witnessed this 9th day of March, 1888.

.IULIUS L.

IIORNIG. Vitnesses:

IVILLIAM PELZER,

A. W. KIDDLE.

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